Twenty-year-old Matthew Sylvain, a labourer, was sentenced to four years in prison on two counts of armed robbery.
The North Melanie, East Coast Demerara (ECD) resident was facing seven robbery charges.
Reports are that the robberies occurred between February 21 and February 27, 2024.
The 20-year-old appeared before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly and admitted to committing the robberies. As such, Magistrate Daly jailed him for two years for each charge.
Meanwhile, the five other robbery charges were read by Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. Sylvain admitted to robbing Delon McBeth, Wei Zu Chin, Shantie Mohan, Diana Simon, and Steven Gopaul. Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus remanded him to prison pending probation and conviction reports. Sentencing for these charges will be done on March 15.
Last July, the Melanie teen was also charged with armed robbery and escaping from lawful custody.
It is alleged that on July 5, 2023, at Lamaha Park, Georgetown, while being in the company of another and armed with a handgun, Sylvain robbed Colin Hooper of one gold chain valued at $1.7 million and a gold band valued at $300,000. The defendant pleaded not guilty.
It is also alleged that on July 5, 2023, at Lamaha Park, Georgetown, while being in the company of another and armed with a handgun, Sylvain robbed Marlon Austin of one iPhone 13 Pro Max valued at $300,000, one gold chain with a diamond pendant valued at $210,000 and two gold rings valued at $200,000.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to those charges.
It is further alleged that on July 8, 2023, while being in custody at the Ruimveldt Police Station pending investigation into robbery charges, the defendant escaped from lawful custody.
The defendant pleaded guilty with an explanation. He told the court that he was very sorry for escaping from custody but had no knowledge of the robberies he was being accused of.
The court heard that Sylvain was in custody pending investigations and about 02:45h on July 8, 2023, along with another individual whose only given name was “Tishawn”, he opened the padlock which was securing the lock-ups and fled from the Ruimveldt Police Station.
On July 15, 2023, Sylvain was apprehended in Albouystown, Georgetown.
The court prosecutor objected to bail taking into consideration the nature of the offence and the fact that a dangerous weapon was used. The Magistrate refused bail and he was remanded to prison. (G9)
